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This page has been produced to inform you as a potential owner of a rescue Weimaraner just what you are letting yourself & your family in for & to hopefully encourage you to take on the very rewarding challenge of owning a Weimaraner. So what is the Grey Ghost?

W Wilful but sometimes willing to please

E Exceedingly loyal & sometimes possessive

I Immensely intelligent & incredibly stubborn

M Misses his owner dreadfully if left alone

A Accepts discipline readily with patience, but..

R Rules the roost if allowed

A Adjusts your lifestyle out of all recognition

N Needs a stable & loving home environment

E Energetic exercise for mind & body essential

R Regards himself as being superior in every way

The weimaraner is a thinking creature, proud and dominant in nature with the ability to quickly discover who in his family is to be respected & who can be treated with contempt. He is an excellent house dog & responds readily to intelligent handling. He can be infuriating as sometimes he will wish to please you & sometimes he would rather please himself.

The weimaraner is a thinking creature proud dominant in nature with the ability to quickly discover who in his family is to be respected & who can be treated with contempt. He is an excellent house dog & responds readily to intelligent handling. He can be infuriating as sometimes he will wish to please you & sometimes he would rather please himself.

Weimaraners adapt easily to children if brought up with them but the Weimaraner must be made to realise that as part of the family pack he ranks well below the children.

As a breed his unique characteristics are difficult to describe, he has total devotion to his owner & gone are the days of being able to visit the toilet by yourself . He can be cool, aloof & even snobbish towards strangers. He can be demanding, strong willed & possessive & there is an absolute need to establish yourself as THE BOSS. Once this is achieved he will become your devoted & responsive friend.

He can almost talk with his beautiful eyes & expression & will feel that he is absolutely part of your family at all times & because of this when left alone for long periods of time can become noisy or destructive & resentful.

This breed is NOT a guard dog & should never be encouraged to do so, even though he will have such an instinct. His physical requirements are a well fenced garden with free running and disciplined exercise. Mentally he requires careful patient training consistently delivered following the rules of your home - not those he makes for himself.

An under exercised, untrained and unoccupied weimaraner is a potent recipe for disaster! Kitchens can be redesigned, furniture wrecked and gardens destroyed. You will not find this endearing. He is primarily a working gundog with strong instincts to hunt & retrieve. This part of his character must never be forgotten and if you are unable to fulfil these needs, others must be substituted with regular training classes or competitive spheres such as agility, working trials, shows or gundog tests as organised by WCGB or other HPR clubs. All will help to make your Weimaraner a well-rounded, well socialised and adaptable individual.

Everything about this beautiful creature is something of a challenge. He has such a 'get up and go' personality..and if you do not think two steps ahead, 'get & gone ' is where he will be! He has a quick intelligence, an abundance of energy, a drive to hunt, a streak of possessiveness and an exaggerated devotion which must be tempered to modern day living. He is not the dog for everyone and certainly not, nor should ever be regarded as a commercial proposition. The rewards of taking him on are immense, not least the knowledge that you are giving a home to a Weimaraner in need.

What does he need from you?

A rescue dog has even more specialised needs than a puppy purchased from a reputable breeder. He needs an infinite amount of time patience & understanding & will probably need time to settle in with you. Until he gets his feet under the table he will probably be on his best behaviour but this will not last. If he has any particular problems you will be told about them & given guidance on how to deal with them. You have one sure advantage - he is in a strange environment & will not know what to expect. The rules & limitations you set down will have more impact than at any other time. Be consistent firm but kind & let him know exactly what is required. Be sure to let him know where he stands in the pecking order in your family - at the bottom.

Take him to training classes and AVOID PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION. Socialise him extensively and encourage and praise him when he does well.

Do not wind him up with high, squeaky voices. Let the dog come to you. Quiet firm handling is vital, THINK DOG and learn to read the dog. They will be the first steps towards a long & happy relationship.

We hope this has whetted your appetite enough to encourage you to take the next step towards offering a home to one of our unfortunates.